Pakistan, Sept. 2 -- Carlos Alcaraz played a competitive singles match for the first time in more than four months and did not appear to miss a beat, prevailing 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 over Russia's Roman Safiullin to begin his US Open title defense Monday in New York.

Before the final Grand Slam of the season, the Spaniard hadn't played since the ATP 500 event in Barcelona last April, where he injured his right wrist. Alcaraz missed the French Open and Wimbledon and only made his competitive return last week, when he teamed up with Serena Williams for the US Open mixed doubles tournament, where they won one match. But the No. 2 seed needed a tidy two hours and 22 minutes on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court to dispatch Safiullin and trumpet his retur...